Stargate: Return of the Ancients, Season 2, Ep 3
by Aer-ki Jyr
Summary: Episode, "Cheaters" Year:2014
1. Chapter 1

McKay sprinted around the last turn of Atlantis's gym track, his legs burning, arms pumping, breath heaving and practically fell over the finish line, half tripping over his own feet as he did so. He stumbled for a few steps then let himself roll to the ground in exhaustion for a moment, then forced himself to sit up and look at his time…

21:04

"Oh for the love of…I am _never_ going to get this," he said, thinking about standing up, then deciding to just crawl off the track before an approaching Cadman ran him over.

"Good job, Rodney. Personal best, isn't it?" she asked snobbishly as she zoomed on by.

"Yes, wonderful isn't it," McKay moaned as he laid out on his back just outside the track. "Ow."

He stayed there, unmoving for a full ten minutes before finding the strength to pull himself up and into the gym's 'shower room.' The Ancient version was more of a bath that reminded Rodney of a toilet bowl every time he used one…mainly due to the fact that they both used the same green cleansing fluid.

McKay was tempted to slip into the green pool in the floor fully clothed and let the fluid eat the clothes off him, but he didn't want to waste a perfectly good pair of workout clothes. He slowly stripped off his sweat-soaked garments and slid them into a rectangular niche in the wall. He closed the compartment and hit the activation switch. A purging energy field cleaned the clothing within seconds, then the garments were shifted automatically into an adjacent chamber where they were folded, stacked, and secured within a small, flexible carrying case which popped out on a stubby table for McKay to retrieve before he left…or to put back on again if he wanted.

The 'shower' that existed within the rejuvenation station, which the Alterrans simply referred to as the 'juvie,' sat on the floor next to a short bench at the foot of this individual compartment's wall. The entry door to the compartment looked like frosted glass, but opaque enough to provide an adequate level of privacy.

McKay, now fully naked, walked over to the bench and pulled up the center section of it, revealing a wide, shallow depression with a deep center section. Rodney hefted his tired body up onto the bench and sat his bare butt down into the bowl containing the same green liquid as the 'shower' hole in the floor two meters in front of him.

His butt snuggled against the shallow portion of the bowl, with the green liquid rising up above his hip bones. He released a full bladder's worth of urine and a bit of exercise-induced diarrhea into the Ancient version of a toilet and felt the liquid begin to flow around his body as the waste material was 'tagged' by the green particles then pulled down into the deep section of the depression where they were collected. McKay sat there for a quarter of an hour as his mind wondered over many things, most notably his time trial failure.

21:04 was a long way from 19:59.

Eventually Rodney pried himself out of the depression, his butt sparkling clean, and walked over to the double-pool on the floor. He walked down the shallow staircase that let him ease into the 2-meter wide pool, whose floor height adjusted down an additional 6 inches to accommodate his height. More green liquid flowed in and out to accommodate for the changes in volume as McKay walked down neck deep into the pool.

Wisps of red appeared around his body as the grime and sweat he'd accumulated throughout the day, and most recently his run, was tagged by the green liquid. When it attached to a particle that wasn't part of his body, it shifted color to red as it broke down the excess material and was whisked away through the floor as more green liquid moved in to replace it. Had McKay stepped in with his clothes on, the liquid would have dissolved them into tiny particles over the next half hour, insuring that no large pieces of waste material would be left in the chamber. If McKay had been in a hurry he could have even 'relieved' himself in the shower, but he hadn't done that in a long time…

Rodney dipped his head beneath the surface and felt the slightly cloying liquid pull across his scalp, scrapping grime from it. He rose back to the surface then dipped in a few more times to get most of the material off his head before he submerged one more time and walked under the small, submerged arch separating this circular pool from the identical one on the other side. As he passed underneath a sticky energy field caught any residual 'red' particles and squeegeed them off his body. He had to hold his breath and push fairly hard, but he arrived on the other side completely clean.

McKay walked up another submerged staircase as small red nodules dissolved in the other pool then gradually disappeared to the collection tray beneath the 'shower.' As Rodney came up out of the second pool another energy field wicked the remaining green material off his body, keeping it in the proper place and essentially 'drying' him as a similar field in the bench depression had done to his butt.

He retrieved a set of generic Ancient 'pajamas,' as he thought of them, from another wall niche and dressed in fresh clothes, slipping on a pair of generic shoes in the process. Both the shoes and the clothes were completely white, with small light grey patches and clasps.

McKay retrieved his bundled workout clothes and picked up his specially designed running shoes from the floor, then headed back to his quarters.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Jennifer asked when McKay got back to their quarters an hour after his run.

"Why are you here?" McKay said, frowning.

"I live her," Jennifer said, taken slightly aback but used to such things coming out of Rodney's mouth. "Unless you're wanting to change that arrangement?"

"Of course not," he said, retracting slightly. "I meant I thought you were still offworld."

Keller shrugged. "There really wasn't much need for me."

"Well I sincerely doubt that," McKay differed. "The Debreyans have been living under the ground for who knows how many centuries…that's bound to come with a plethora of health problems."

"A few," Keller admitted, "but their medical science is ahead of Earth's. I was only able to offer them a few treatments from the _Lantean database_."

"Yes, well," McKay said, content that she'd finally started using the correct term. Most of Atlantis's database…which he'd previously had access to…had since been restricted to only the Alterra, who had deemed it too advanced for their lesser cousins…at least until they got a better handle on the fundamentals. "I'm sure you were of more use than you're letting on."

"Less actually," Jennifer said, sitting down on the end of their bed. "Despite hiding from the Wraith all these years, they're done pretty well for themselves. If it hadn't been for Dr. Weir's encounter with them when she was an ascended replicator, they could have kept going like they are indefinitely."

"Wait a second," McKay said, raised a hand for her to pause. "I thought you were sent there to plug some holes in their medical databases."

"Yes and no," Keller wavered. "The biggest problems come from them living on a planet with 1.6 gravity. I was able to give them a few things to help offset the difference, but their physiology has already adapted to the conditions for the most part. The gravity dampeners Teyla brought them for their infirmary were more useful than anything I did…and don't think I didn't notice you changing the subject, sweetheart."

"Yes, thank you for noticing," McKay said, sitting down next to her. He leaned over and put his head on her shoulder. "I can't do this."

"Rodney…" she pleaded.

"No, I'm serious this time," he said, pulling his head up and looking at her with sullen eyes. "It's been two years. I've tried…I really have. More so than I ever thought I could."

"I know you have," she said, stroking the side of his head. "But you can't give up."

McKay dipped his head. "I promised myself I'd do this, if for no other reason to be with you…and I really bared down this past month. I've run faster, and harder, and farther than I've ever done before. In a way I'm proud of myself. I never thought I'd be where I am now, I mean look at me," he said, standing up and pulling up his shirt. "I'm skinny. Would you believe that."

"I noticed," Jennifer said with a little smile.

"But I've gone as far as I can physically go," McKay said mournfully. "Maybe if I was twenty years younger I'd have a chance, but Jennifer… I'm in my forties. This isn't a fair test."

"I have faith in you," she nudged.

"Don't," he said, defeated. "Just don't. I'm toast and I know it. If Weir doesn't change the test I'll just have to live out the rest of my life as a Human," he said, sitting back down next to his Lantean wife. "My very short life."

"You're serious about this, aren't you," she said, sensing that this was more than just his normal complaining.

"I wish I wasn't," he said, leaning on her shoulder again. "I'm finally getting used to the Ancient science, now that I've got all that PHD mumbo jumbo out of my head. Janus actually asked for my help on the black hole tap project he's starting up next month…can you believe that?"

"I thought you said he couldn't stand you?"

"Well, things have changed," McKay said, also taking her hand in his. "I guess I'm just going to have to contribute as I am."

"Are you going to quit running altogether?"

Rodney glanced up at her nose from his vantage point on her shoulder. "Worried about me getting flabby again? Don't…I've been a lot more clear headed since I got in shape. Helped increase my calculating speed by at least 30%. I'll keep doing some small workouts, but _racer_ McKay is going into retirement."

"Well, you can always try again later, if you change your mind…as long as you stay in shape."

"I suppose so," he said groggily. "I don't know about you, but I need a nap."

"Sounds good," she said, leaning him back on the bed and kissing his forehead. "Rest."

"Hmmn," McKay miffed as he quickly drifted off to sleep.

Keller laid next to him, looking at the ceiling, but she didn't sleep. She was concerned that he may be right. Maybe he couldn't do it. Maybe Weir had given him something above his head.

Maybe she should have a talk with Elizabeth. Jennifer knew she didn't want McKay to fail, so maybe there was a way to work around this. There had to be.

* * *

In another skyscraper on the other side of the city, Ryan Stevenson sat alone in his quarters, levitating a number of objects in fast moving halos about his head. He'd begun to include specially designed weights to increase the difficulty and had five of the 50lb cubes in orbit along with most of his quarters' possessions.

Inside he felt the constant instability that resulted from his forced development, but unlike usual it didn't dissipate as it should have from the telekinesis. Instead it gradually swelled in spite of his exertions. He knew he'd been working a bit longer than he should have ever since his forces had begun hunting down the Wraith and beginning to put Pegasus back together, but even that indulgence shouldn't have had him feeling like this. He should have had to work a little harder and longer for the exertion to pull back the instability, hence he'd added another weight into the mix.

This was different though. The instability wasn't quite the same. It was cascading along with an abundance of energy…energy that he wasn't able to bleed off. Before long he was going to lose control of his cellular structure if he didn't do something, and he knew damn well that could be fatal.

Ryan stopped resisting the instability, knowing that his only hope was to move with the flow rather than try and stop it. He released all the objects in the room, some of them flying into the walls and breaking on impact, others skidded to a stop against the floor or hit his small bed platform on which he sat cross-legged.

Suddenly Ryan leaned back, arms going wide and legs uncrossing. His back arched as his body crackled with what looked like rainbow-colored electricity as he let out a silent scream…

* * *

"Dr. Weir," an Asgard voice said through her headset as she sat on the balcony outside her quarters atop one of the medium-sized spires, sunbathing.

"Yes?" she replied into the air.

"I am detecting anomalous energy readings within the city."

"Where?" Elizabeth said, sitting up.

"I believe they are emanating from the tertiary residential tower. I am attempting to pinpoint the source."

"There aren't any power generators in that tower, are there?" she asked, getting to her bare feet and walking back into her quarters.

"There are not," the Asgard in the control room replied pithily.

"Then what could be generating the energy?" she asked as she started to get dressed. She had a gut feeling that whatever this was, it was going to be a problem.

"I do not know," the Asgard admitted, "but the energy readings are increasing, and beginning to interfere with the power distribution systems on levels 56 through 72.

"Fifty six," Elizabeth said, trying to remember what was in that vicinity. There were so many towers within the city, but only a few purely residential sections. She knew it wasn't the Alterran section of the city, nor was it the Asgard wing. It should have been Human/Lantean personnel quarters.

"By any chance is it coming from level 61?" Elizabeth asked, realizing who else had quarters in that tower.

"The anomalous energy spikes make it impossible to pinpoint the source," the Asgard reported. "What is on level 61?"

"Ryan's quarters," she said, pulling on a pink, short-sleeved shirt.

"I cannot be for certain," the Asgard reported, "however the power disruption is beginning to spread both above and below that level."

"Evacuate the tower," she said, hastily pulling on some shoes. "I'm on my way."


	2. Chapter 2

Arcs of energy leapt out from Ryan's body and impacted the walls, ceiling, and floor at random points. Inside he could feel himself painfully shift through another round of hyper-alteration, but this one was far worse than any he'd had before. When the energy began leaving his body the pressure didn't lessen much…and more and more bio-energy was being forcefully pumped out through his extremities as his internal reserves exceeded the saturation point.

His bed caught on fire, but he didn't even notice the flames. He was in so much internal agony he couldn't focus on anything other than the flow of energy. Ryan needed it out of him, but even as it left it seemed to drag up more with it…and fry him in the process.

He didn't know how much time had passed since the overload began, but suddenly he was looking up into a familiar face as Matt stared down at him. The air was smoky, and his own vision hadn't settled yet, but he could still hear Matt's voice inside his head.

_Ryan, wake up! _

_I'm here_, he answered back telepathically.

_You have burns over most of your body. Lie still while I heal them_, he said as Ryan began to feel a faint pressure.

_Burns from what?_

_You lit your room on fire_, Matt said matter-of-factly.

_Oh_, Ryan said, trying to raise his head.

_I said hold still_, Matt complained, telekinetically pushing his forehead back down. _Doesn't it hurt you to move?_

_I don't feel anything…I must be numb_, Ryan said, trying to bring his senses back around.

_Well stay put, I have to focus to make this work_, Matt said as he held his left hand against Ryan's shoulder and his right on his opposite forearm. Both had lost nearly all the skin on them. Ryan lay on the charred rubble of his bed cushions, a black and red burnt monstrosity. His natural healing ability hadn't kicked in yet…or it was busy with internal damage. Matt couldn't be sure what was going or not going to happen, so he set himself to healing his twin's skin using his own natural healing power. He didn't want to risk moving him yet, nor did he want to take the time to retrieve a regenerator.

_Was anyone else hurt?_ Ryan asked.

_A few people in the nearby rooms, nothing serious. I have Carson working on them now. What happened to you?_

_Not entirely sure. I think I lost control…but for some reason I'm still alive._

_I don't know how badly damaged you are on the inside, but you're a mess on the outside. Better not look until I get your skin regrown._

_That bad?_ Ryan asked, not realizing how damaged he was.

_You're breathing up smoke_, Matt pointed out as Ryan's left arm began to regrow its skin amidst a gentle glow.

_My room's trashed too, I take it?_

_Pretty much_, Matt said as the skin growth began to spread up to Ryan's shoulder and then his neck. _Are you sure you did this to yourself?_

_You mean one of the Ascended?_

_Yeah, that was the thought_.

_No…afraid I kicked my own butt this time_.

_Ironic_, Matt noted as the regrowth began to pick up speed. _You're so strong the only threat to you is yourself._

_You know that's not true…but still funny._

_A lot funnier for us_.

_I suppose so. Is that you I feel in my chest?_

_IN your chest…no_.

Ryan searched within him, pushing his numbed senses for the tingling pressure on the right side of his chest, low enough to probably be his secata organ…

_Watch out!_ Ryan warned his brother as another rainbow colored lance of energy arced out of his chest, down the length of his right arm, and leapt into the wall opposite Matt.

_Sorry_, Ryan said, getting his first look at his unhealed right arm. _Ugh_.

_Told you not to look_, Matt reminded him as he gently pushed his head back down. _Bit of residual charge?_

_I think so. I'm still numb on the inside, so I really don't know what's going on._

_As soon as I get the skin back on you, we'll go down to the med bay and check you out_.

_How long with that take?_

_Should have you shinny again in a few minutes._

_You're one to talk._

Matt glanced down at his own skin, which he'd lightened in the DNA resequencer. _Point._

Ryan stretched his senses, which felt like he was reaching for nothing, but was rewarded with a dull headache forming.

_Easy_, Matt cautioned, sensing his struggle. _Let your senses reset on their own. You don't want to feel this anyway._

_Yes, I do_, Ryan argued. _I can't self-heal if I can't feel the damage_.

_I've got you covered_, Matt said as the last of the skin on Ryan's feet reformed. _Try sitting up._

Ryan ordered his muscles to move and suddenly he was looking at Matt next to him and down on his naked, ash covered body…but he still didn't feel it there.

Matt raised an eyebrow.

_You could punch me and I probably couldn't feel it._

Matt let a smile slip as he got a telekinetic hold of Ryan and helped him to his feet. _Come on_, he said, reinforcing Ryan's awkward balance. _We'll figure this out_.

* * *

The two Stevensons walked to the nearest transporter and headed back to Matt's lair, catching all kinds of looks from the Humans and Lanteans they passed in the hallways. Eventually they made it to the med bay and Matt nudged Ryan towards the analysis table.

"Ow," Ryan said out loud.

_What?_

_I think my head just started to unnumb_, he thought back to him as he laid down under the scanner, still totally naked but not caring.

_Let's see what we've got_, Matt said as he activated the scanner. As the initial results began to show Matt's face slackened.

Ryan sensed his dismay. _That bad?_

_Your nervous system is in disarray, you've got significant damage to your lungs, half of your internal tissues are partially fried…but more than that your secata is rating a 14.2 despite only a quarter of it being active._

Ryan twisted his head so he could look at Matt. "_That's not supposed to be possible_," he said aloud.

_The other three quarters appear to have overloaded and fragged themselves, but they're showing a modest rate of regeneration_, Matt said, continuing their telepathic conversation.

_Matt, I couldn't bleed it off through telekinesis_, Ryan said as Elizabeth walked into the room with a stack of clothes and pair of shoes in hand.

"_Oh, hello_," she said when she saw him lying naked on the analysis table. He slid his legs off and sat up, but refrained from standing due to the persistent numbness.

"_Those for me?_" he asked.

"_Ah, yes. Matt asked me to bring them_," she said, just standing there.

"_Something wrong?_" Ryan asked.

"_Matt said you'd been burned_."

"_I was able to regenerate his skin_," Matt explained, sensing her reluctance to give him his clothes. He imagined that from her perspective this was quite a rare moment. "_However, he's rather busted up inside._"

"_I can imagine_," Elizabeth continued. "_There were power fluctuations all throughout the tower_."

"_Sorry about that_," Ryan said, dipping his head a bit. He really hadn't expected this to happen…not like this anyway.

"_I've already got repair crews on the job, and the injuries were light. I saw Beckett on the way in and he said everyone was patching up fine_."

Ryan looked at the wall in the direction of the other portion of the med bay and did a mental check on the wounded. He found six individuals along with Beckett, but only one of them was in pain, and that pain was receding quickly. He figured Carson was using one of the handheld regeneration units in lieu of the more powerful regenerator cubes, but if the injuries were truly light then the small units would be more than adequate for the task.

Ryan mentally thanked Beckett then turned his attention back to Elizabeth. "_To answer your unspoken question…I'm not sure what happened. I lost control and my instability skyrocketed. I don't remember much after that._"

"_You said telekinesis didn't work?_" Matt interrupted.

"_It didn't bleed off the energy this time_," Ryan tried to explain. "_I felt, different. It was still instability, but not the same kind. I can't articulate it._"

"_Not much I could do about it anyway_," Matt added, referring to the fact that any significant alteration could interfere with the Repository's transitional programming…which neither of them understood, medically speaking. "_But if that happens again, a little more powerful next time…_"

"_I'm toast, I know_," Ryan said, tilting his neck to the side. His headache was getting worse.

"_Is there nothing you can do for him?_" Elizabeth asked Matt.

Matt shrugged. "_I can patch him up, but I don't know enough about the problem to try and fix it. That's something he has to figure out_."

"_Was this supposed to happen?_" she asked.

"_No_," Ryan said flatly. "_I screwed up…I just don't know how_."

"_Do you want me to move everyone else out of the tower, in case this happens again?_"

"_No, I need to get out of the city_," Ryan said, attempting to stand. He wobbled a bit, not being able to feel his legs, but with a hand on the analysis table he managed to stay upright. "_Do something about this numbness, please_."

Matt frowned. "_It'd be better if you let it come back naturally_."

"_Not if I overload again because I can't feel it coming_," Ryan argued.

"_True_," Matt relented as he walked off to retrieve another piece of equipment.

"_I have to admit_," Elizabeth said, walking a couple of steps closer to him, "_I'm worried about you._"

"_Me too_," Ryan said, flexing his fingers without being able to feel them. He balled his right hand into a fist and punched the side of the table. Still, he felt nothing.

"_Are you trying to hurt yourself again?_" she pointed out.

"_I can't feel anything except a headache_," he told her, "_and that's only recent_."

"_Really_," Elizabeth repeated. "_Nothing at all_."

"_No_," he said, looking down at his clothes in her hands and then back up at her eyes, letting her know that he knew that she was intentionally stalling.

She smiled slightly. "_Well, if you can't feel anything. Do you need some help dressing?_" she asked playfully.

"_Thank you_," he said, saying the opposite of what she'd expected just as Matt walked back in. "_Put a hold on that_," he changed his mind as Matt came over and started running the device up and down his spine from behind him.

"Ow," Ryan said as some feeling began to creep back into his chest.

"_It's going to get a lot worse_," Matt said, pausing. "_Are you sure you want me to do this?_"

"_I need my senses back_," Ryan reiterated.

"_This will delay a full comeback by more than a day_," Matt pointed out.

Ryan sighed. "_A little more then, at least enough to keep my balance_."

"_Alright_," Matt said reservedly as he moved the device up and down his arms and legs, then treated his spine once more. "_Done_."

"_How do you feel?_" Elizabeth asked, eyes narrowing.

"_Like I got run over by a Ha'tak_," he said, referencing an SGC cliché. "_Hand me my pants_."

Elizabeth pulled them out of the stack along with some shorts that looked like a skin-tight swimsuit. "_Don't you want these first?_" she said, holding them up tantalizingly in front of him.

"_Flirt_," he said sarcastically as he grabbed them from her and bent over to put them on…tipping to the side as he did.

"_Whoa there_," Elizabeth said, catching him by the shoulder.

Ryan pulled the 'shorts' up and on then got his balance back. "_Thanks_," he said, sitting back down on the table. "_I thought you were going to give me my balance back?_"

"_I did_," Matt said evenly. "_But I imagine the pain is taking priority_."

Ryan gave him a 'you should have gone farther' glare and put his hand up in front of Elizabeth for his pants. She held onto his shoulder to steady him as she gave him the trim, white-colored generic clothing. He pulled them on with less hassle and asked for his shirt, which he sat down on the table in order to pull on. Still, he almost lost his balance and fell forward when the shirt went over his head and he lost his visual reference.

Elizabeth caught him again with a hand to the chest as Matt looked on, smiling. He could have telekinetically stabilized Ryan, but if he was going to be stubborn about his condition then he was on his own as far as balance was concerned…and Elizabeth seemed to be enjoying the moment too much for him to spoil it.

Ryan finally got the shirt over his still numb shoulders, then pulled it down curtly over his recently regenerated chest and took a moment to steady himself. "_Could you help me with the shoes?_"

"_My pleasure_," Elizabeth teased as she stooped down and lifted up his left leg. She pulled on his shoes and fastened the straps for him, then stood up and theatrically rubbed her hands together. "_Anything else I can help you with?_"

"_How are you with massages?_" he asked, just to see her reaction…which was a wide-eyed flinch. He laughed it off and changed subjects. "_Tell Sheppard I need to see him whenever he's able, preferably within the day. I can't stay here any longer. I'm putting you all at risk_."

"_I'm sure we can work up some kind of containment room_," she said quickly, looking at Matt who nodded 'yes.'

"_That's possible_," he confirmed aloud.

Ryan wasn't convinced. "_No. I need to get away and deal with this myself. I'm due back in Destra next week anyway. I'll head out there and find a nice quiet planet where I won't fry anyone if I lose control again_."

"_Someone should go with you_," Elizabeth pointed out. "_If Matt hadn't gotten to you when he did, you could have burned to death without realizing it_."

"_I'll take precautions_," Ryan assured them. "_But I have a feeling this is something that you guys aren't going to be able to help me with._"


	3. Chapter 3

"McKay!"

Rodney nearly jumped out of his workstation's seat, jamming his hands down on the keyboard in the process. The Ancient computer responded with a rude sounding beep as McKay turned around to see Sheppard behind him.

"What the…" Rodney began to say when the computer's tone belatedly hit home. He turned back around quickly and undid the damage his errant keystrokes had done before the auxiliary generator that he'd been realigning overloaded.

"When's the last time you ran?" Sheppard demanded.

McKay slumped back in his seat. "Not you too."

"When?"

"Three days ago," Rodney said unenthusiastically.

"And how many days have you skipped since your last time trial?" Sheppard asked pointedly, already knowing the answer.

"A lot," McKay answered. "Not that it matters anymore."

Sheppard rolled his eyes. "Get off the sob story, Rodney. This is too important."

"Says the super-ancient."

"You think this is hard…you should have seen what I had to go through."

"What, you had to go a week without your comb," McKay mocked him.

Sheppard pointed a warning finger at his friend. "Up until now you've been doing a good job. I've kept tabs on your progress and I know you're ready to pass the test. You've already done all the hard work, so why the hell are you giving up now?"

Rodney glared at him. "What have you been smoking? I'm more than a minute off the mark."

Sheppard shook his head. "I've seen your workout data. You're where you need to be, you just need to push yourself harder when you race. You've got a lot more in you than you realize."

"Believe me, I've tried that," McKay said, his tone drifting between defensive and wishing Sheppard was right. "I set the pacer to exactly the time I needed to pass the test and I couldn't keep up. I tried five times before chucking it and just trying to lower my personal best. I'm nowhere near where I need to be, and it's _already_ been two years."

"For the sake of argument only," John clarified, "what's wrong with three years? Seriously, who said you have to pass the test right away? If you're having trouble summoning the guts to race your way into Lantean-ville now, keep training for another year and by then you should be able to make the mark with a half-assed effort."

McKay laughed. "Are you joking? For the life of me I don't know how I've made it this far. I've been doing things I never thought I could before…I mean I didn't even think I could run a mile straight, let alone five. I'm proud of what I've accomplished, but 19:59 is beyond me. It's better I realize that now than to keep beating my brains in for the next few years and come up empty handed anyway."

Sheppard rolled his eyes. "Rodney, you are the dumbest smart person I've ever met."

McKay frowned, not completely understanding that statement. "Meaning what?"

"Meaning you're going to throw away everything you've gained by quitting now. Don't slide back to the way you were before."

"You mean pudgy?"

"For starters," Sheppard said indignantly.

"I'm still working out…a little," McKay hedged.

"That's not enough and you know it."

"What, you're poking around my head now? Don't you have any sense of privacy," Rodney said, standing up angrily and walking over to the other side of the small, empty lab.

"Not when my friend is kicking himself in the balls," Sheppard said, walking towards him.

"That…" McKay started to say, then got hung up on how that would be physically possible.

"You see, right there," Sheppard yelled, pointing at him. "That's your problem. You analyze everything. You've got to learn to live in the moment and face the unknown."

McKay looked at him incredulously. "I'm a scientist. It's what we do for a living," he said, then considered the fact that he wasn't actually getting paid, nor needed to anymore, so maybe 'for a living' wasn't quite accurate.

"Give me a break," Sheppard said irreverently. "You scientists work out of your nifty little rulebook. Everything is drawn and mapped out for you. You don't face the unknown, you hide from it behind your theories and protocols."

"Wanting to understand how the universe works is not hiding from it," McKay argued.

"But you don't find out. That would require tying when the outcome is uncertain. You only act if you think you know what will happen. That's why you're not running fast enough, you won't put it on the line because you're afraid you'll run out of gas. You want to preplan every aspect of it, but you can't analyze it like a science experiment. This is biology, not technology. And above that we're lifeforms, and that adds a whole other dimension."

"So what," McKay said, crossing his arms over his chest. He was beginning to get frustrated with his highly evolved friend. "You're saying I'm too smart for my own good."

"No, I'm saying you're too stupid for your own good. You're not the scientist watching the lab rat run through the maze this time. You're the rat, so stop trying to analyze the maze and determine the point of the experiment and just chase the damn cheese!"

"Ha, ha, very funny," Rodney said slowly, looking up at the ceiling with disgust. "Mock me all you want, but science is the key to unlocking the universe, not physical training…and I don't need to be upgraded to continue my work so, thanks for your concern, but Rodney McKay is sticking with the Human race."

"I don't believe this," John said, beginning to pace back and forth angrily. "You're already there, the hard part's over! You're just too blind to see it…and you never learned how to work in the dark."

"Why would I work in the dark?"

"Metaphorically speaking," Sheppard emphasized. "If you're dropped into a situation where you have no prior knowledge or experience, how well do you handle it?"

"About as well as anybody else, I suppose," McKay said, salving some of his ego.

"You suck at it," John told him. "And you avoid situations that would put you into the unknown…but when you're forced into it you find a way through, so I know you're not hopeless. You've admitted you do your best work under threat of imminent death..."

"True," Rodney confirmed.

"Because that's when your mind let's you roam free of your self-imposed boundaries. Normally you're too afraid of the unknown to try anything that you don't already know will work, but if you know you're going to die anyway you loosen up and take risks."

"And that is related to running how?" McKay said sarcastically.

"You're afraid to try and fail," Sheppard said flatly.

McKay took a step towards him. "Then how did I get this far?"

Sheppard took a step closer to him. "I said you'd been doing a good job. Don't stop now when you're one step away from the finish line."

"Maybe an Alterra can leap mount Everest with a single step, but not Rodney McKay," he said defiantly, then his tone dropped the animosity. "I wish you were right. I really do, but this is as far as I can go. I was going to keep training," he said, dropping his head, "but without a reason it just isn't the same. I'll try and run enough to stay thin, but right now I'm burnt out. I've tried and failed so many times that I can't summon the courage to try again."

Sheppard blew out a frustrated breath, but he could sense that McKay really was done and not just being lazy.

"Look, I appreciate the kick in the pants you're trying to give me," McKay said uncharacteristically, "but I'm afraid I need more than motivation to make this work…actually I don't know what I need to make this work. Guess you're right. I don't deal with the unknown very well," he said, sitting back down at his workstation. "I need at least some thread to pull on, some pattern to follow. When things seem to defy any and every set of rules conceivable I don't know how to handle it."

"Rodney, it's just so frustrating to see you at the precipice and then turn back," Sheppard said sympathetically. "You may not be able to understand where you're at or how much further you have to go, but I can. Even if you're not gutsy enough to do it now, just keep doing what you've been doing and in a year or two you'll pass the test in your workouts…you won't even have to race."

McKay slowly shook his head. "You make the workouts sound easy."

"A lot easier than dealing with a failing body forty years down the road and not even having the strength to get out of bed and work on your computer," Sheppard warned him. "Take up the fight now or you'll find yourself in a real no-win scenario."

"You're probably right," McKay admitted, "but I'm not there yet. And without being able to feel the threat of impending doom I can't work up the courage anymore."

"Chickenshit," Sheppard whispered.

Rodney nodded. "Probably true."

Sheppard blew out a breath and began to walk out. McKay turned back to his workstation and began punching keys, getting himself reacquainted with the reactor he'd been working on.

"No," Sheppard said loudly, stopping just inside the door.

"No?" Rodney echoed, swiveling back around.

"You heard me. I said no. You're not going down like this you arrogant, self-deluded momma's boy. You've already done the hard work, now you're going to finish it."

"What?" McKay laughed. "You going to threaten to shove a lemon down my throat again?"

"Get dressed to run and meet me at my quarters," Sheppard said, turning around to leave. "There's something I need to do first."

"I'm busy," McKay pointed out.

Sheppard pointed the finger at him again. "Just do it…or I'll break out the citrus squirt gun."

All levity dropped out of McKay's face. "That wasn't funny the first time."

"Be there," Sheppard said as he disappeared out the door, "or I'll come get you."

McKay slumped back in his seat. "Wonderful."

* * *

Ryan and the Doci walked out of the stargate onto a lifeless desert planet with a small structure rising up above the horizon a short distance before them. The structure was to be Stevenson's personal retreat while he sorted out his developmental problem and had been ordered, constructed, and stocked with supplies all within the past 15 hours.

The two men walked inside the ornate oasis and Ryan looked around.

"_I trust all is satisfactory?_" the Doci asked.

"_I believe so. Thank you_."

"_You need not thank us_," the Doci said, bowing slightly. "_We are yours to command, Orici._"

Ryan half smiled at that. "_I'll return to Celestis as soon as I am able_."

"_Do not concern yourself with us_," the Doci cautioned. "_Your well being is our primary concern. If there is anything else you require, ask and it shall be done_."

With that the Doci turned and left.

Ryan snatched a set of weights deposited along the side of the main room and set them swirling about around his head. He sat down on the smooth, polished floor cross-legged in a meditative pose. While his earlier attempt to diffuse the instability through telekinesis had not proven totally successful, it had relieved some of the pressure. Ryan had a feeling that if he refined his senses enough he'd be able to detect two different instabilities within him…one that the telekinesis resolved and one that it did not. If he was correct, then he needed to relieve the first so that he could more clearly deal with the second.

If the previous pattern held, he should have two more days before he reached critical overload again. This time, however, he was going to spend every hour of the day working towards solving the problem. Atlantis and the rest of the galaxies were going to have to wait.

* * *

McKay was waiting outside Sheppard's quarters dressed in his workout attire when John appeared in the hallway.

"About time," McKay complained. "I've been waiting here for half an hour. If you're going to torture me the least you can do is be prompt about it."

"Inside," Sheppard said walking through his opening door. He hadn't bothered to touch the activation panel, but still the door opened.

McKay followed him inside wearily and the door closed behind him.

"You have to promise not to say a word about this to anyone…ever," Sheppard said emphatically.

"Not to say a word about what?" McKay asked, frowning.

"No one means Keller too."

"About what?" McKay pressed.

"Promise," Sheppard urged.

"Alright, fine. I promise. Now what's this all about?"

"I'm going to run your test for you," Sheppard told him.

"What!" McKay exclaimed.

"You heard me. Since you don't have the guts I'm going to have to bail your sorry ass out…again."

"What do you mean again...no, never mind, what's this about you doing it for me?"

"Just what I said, I'm going to run it for you," Sheppard said, holding up a small silver device in the palm of his hand. "This is what took me so long. I had to synthesize it from blueprints in the database."

"A hologram?" McKay guessed, knowing that all the training sessions were recorded for playback by the user, or in this case Elizabeth who had to verify that he actually passed the test.

"No, I'm not going to do it in place of you. Your body is going to run it, but I'll be in control."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm going to superimpose my consciousness over yours," Sheppard explained. "Use my mind to control your body."

"With that?" McKay said, pointing to the small object in Sheppard's hand.

"No, this is just a booster. All Alterra have the ability."

"You do?" McKay said, not believing it.

"Well, I don't have the ability yet. I'm not old enough. Later on, when my telepathy gets stronger I'll be able to do this on my own, but for now I need a power and range boost, which this will give me," John said, attaching the device to his forehead.

"You can take control of people's minds," Rodney repeated.

"Which is why you can't tell anyone," Sheppard reminded him. "They'd freak out if they knew."

"I'm freaking out right now," McKay complained.

"Kind of status quo for you," Sheppard said, mentally connecting with the device.

"Can you do that with each other?" McKay asked, the scientist in him showing through.

"Not unless we let the other one in. Humans don't have the mental defenses to keep us out."

"And Lanteans?" McKay asked, wondering about his wife.

"I imagine they'd put up a bit more resistance, but they're more like Humans than us."

"You done this before?" McKay asked, creeping himself out with all kind of permutations flowing through his head.

"No, why?" John said matter-of-factly.

"Why? It's like a huge invasion of privacy, that's why!"

"Only if we used it that way," Sheppard said, catching some of the 'permutations' from his Rodney's surface thoughts. "Which we don't."

"But you could…" McKay repeated.

"We can do lots of things," Sheppard reminded him. "Which is why we're very careful who we let become Alterra."

"Maybe, but what about Ryan? Nobody checked him out."

"You don't have to worry about him," Sheppard said, waving off the concern. "You could have a total asshole use the Repository and they'd come out alright."

"Meaning what?" McKay said, frowning.

"Meaning it rewrites your behavioral trends to that of Alterran standard to get rid of all previous bad habits."

"It brainwashes you?"

"In a good way," Sheppard clarified. "If it doesn't work the knowledge self-deletes."

"Come again?"

"Some sort of quality control test so you don't end up creating an uber bad guy."

"Now there's a pretty picture."

"You have no idea," Sheppard said, sitting down on his bed and assuming a meditative pose. "You ready?"

"Not just yet," McKay said, holding up a hand. "You're saying our fearless leader and all of his mini-mes are pre-packaged Alterrans?"

"Yep."

McKay nodded. "No wonder they don't have much personality."

Sheppard tilted his head in consideration. "Probably, but I think they'll grow out of it. They're not that bad once you get to know them."

"I'll take your word for it," McKay said, glancing down at his hands. "Are you sure about this?"

"Sure I'm sure. You're already in good enough shape, you just don't know how to squeeze the speed out of yourself."

"Not sure I like the sound of that," McKay grumbled. "Ok, let's get this over with."

"It's not like you haven't been in this situation before," Sheppard jibbed.

McKay glared at him. "You had to remind me?"

"Yep," Sheppard said, beginning to concentrate. He reached out for Rodney's mind and got a feel for it. Once he got his bearings he reached out with intent to override, but as expected lacked sufficient power and experience. Tapping into the device he felt McKay's mind softened and he was able to assert control fairly easily.

"Oh this is gross," John said, looking back at his stationary body through McKay's eyes. He'd been an Alterran long enough to forget how sluggish his original Human body had been…and to make matters worse this was Rodney, which meant take the sluggish factor x3.

"You owe me for this one, buddy," John said in Rodney's voice as he plodded out of his quarters and into the hallway enroute to the gym.

* * *

McKay blinked several times, trying to get his bearings. "Wha…" he tried to said, but found his throat dry. He worked his mouth around to get some moisture in it as he stared at the ceiling of the gym…a view he'd become extremely familiar with over the past 2 years. He tried to lift himself up into a seated position.

"Owwwww!" he cried, laying back down. His entire body hurt, and now that he was becoming more aware he noticed that every ounce of energy his body had must have been sucked dry. His legs felt like lead.

"Oh, you son of a bitch," he said into the air, laying his head back down.

_Quit your complaining you big baby_, Sheppard's voice said inside his head, _and sit up and look at your time. You passed_.

"I did," he said, enthusiasm overriding pain for the moment as he lurched up into a sitting position. He glanced around to figure out where he was, then found the scoreboard.

18:53

"What!" he whispered to himself so the few other people in the gym couldn't hear.

_Told you you were in good enough shape_.

"Ow," McKay groaned again as he reached around to hold his lower back. "You didn't have to go that fast…what, were you trying to kill me?"

_You're welcome, now get your lazy butt back to the showers. I'm not doing that for you_.

"I don't suppose you could send for a stretcher?"

Sheppard reasserted control of McKay and stood him up.

"What the…" Rodney said when he regained consciousness with every muscle in his body screaming.

_Get going. The more time you spend moaning the less likely it is anyone will believe you did that on your own_.

"Good point," McKay said beginning to walk very slowly. "Ow…cramp…cramp" he said, hopping up and down on his right leg as he hobbled off the track.


	4. Chapter 4

"Alright, McKay, you're up," Matt said, standing at the controls of Atlantis's genome altering device.

Rodney popped up out of his seat and jumped up onto the platform as a former Genii woman walked down. Carson, Jennifer, Elizabeth, and Zelenka were all waiting around the lab for Rodney's sake along with two more Pegasus natives that were also due to get their 'promotions.'

"I'm not going to feel anything, right?" McKay asked.

"No, you won't" Matt said as the holographic DNA strands appeared superimposed over Rodney's body. He copied McKay's genetic code to the console's workstation and aligned it with the Lantean template. Numerous discrepancies highlighted themselves and Matt raised an eyebrow.

"What?" McKay asked, overly eager.

"You can step down now."

Rodney didn't move. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I have to calibrate the changes and that will take a while. You're free to stand there if you like."

"Thank you, I think I will."

"Suit yourself," Matt said as he began making alterations. McKay's genome was going to take some extra tweaking.

"Don't suppose you could do something about my hair?" McKay asked barely ten seconds later.

"You want the color changed?"

"You can do that?"

"I can genetically tattoo each strand if I wanted to."

"Oh, well I just meant the part about it thinning…"

"That's covered in the standard package," Matt told him.

McKay nodded then remained silent for a few seconds.

"And the whole citrus allergy thing too?"

"I'll take care of it," Matt said, having forgot about that one. He knew of it because Ryan had heard it mentioned, but he'd forgotten until McKay said it. He shifted down through the genome to fix the allergy problem and noticed a lot of other allergies and conditions that needed to be eliminated as well.

This was going to take quite a while.

"And I don't suppose you could add an inch to my height, could you?" McKay pressed.

Matt stopped and looked up at him. "I could give you a new superpower?"

"Really!" McKay said, his voice climbing in pitch. "What's it do?"

"It gives you the ability to shut up and let me work…I've got 26 other people to get through today and the more you talk the longer this takes."

"Point taken," McKay said submissively and pointed towards where Jennifer was standing. "I'll wait over there."

Matt nodded his agreement and went back to working on the loudmouth's conversion template.

"Too bad that power isn't real," Carson commented under his breath.

Elizabeth looked at the Doctor but didn't outwardly disagree. "Just be patient Rodney. You wouldn't want him getting distracted and messing something up."

"No…I wouldn't," McKay admitted, leaning against one of the solid, stone-like tables.

"I still can't believe you ran that fast," Zelenka commented.

"Yeah," Keller said, glancing once at Zelenka then turning her eyes to Rodney. "You impressed all of us."

"And I'm paying for it now," McKay complained, stretching his right arm.

"Still sore," Jennifer sympathized.

"Very," McKay confirmed.

"What got into you anyway?" Elizabeth said.

"Meaning what?" Rodney asked, a touch of concern in his voice.

"Well I know Sheppard stopped by to have a chat with you. What'd he say that got you fired up enough to run that fast?"

"Probably left a basket of lemons on his doorstep," Carson said sarcastically.

"If you must know, there _was_ threat of citrus involved."

Elizabeth smiled. "I guess he knows how to get inside your head after all these years."

McKay cleared his throat. "He does at that."

"Alright McKay," Matt interrupted. "Step back up."

"That was quick," McKay acknowledged as he leapt back up to the pedestal.

"I made all the adjustments for the first treatment," the Alterran explained. "I'll finish the others later."

"Others?"

"It'll take four treatments in total, spread over two weeks."

"Four?" he complained. "Nobody I've talked to has had more than three."

He heard Carson snicker from the background and tossed a sneer his way.

"It all depends on the individual," Matt explained. "Ready."

"Yes. Let's do this."

"Just hold still for a few minutes. You shouldn't feel a thing."

Rodney set himself into what he thought was a stoic pose, tilting his chin slightly into the air and trying not to get dizzy from all the holographic pieces spinning around him.

_One small adjustment for an Alterran_, he thought to himself. _One giant leap for Rodney McKay._

Looking down at the console Matt rolled his eyes.

* * *

Ryan knelt down on the hard-packed sand a little over half a dekmas away from his temporary home as he felt the instability inside him building to overload again. He didn't want to take the risk of wrecking the place or burning himself again, so he'd put enough space between him, the structure, and the nearby stargate to insure that the only thing he could damage was the sandy ground beneath his knees. As far as he could see, in every direction, was nothing but flat desert. There wasn't even enough loose sand to form dunes. It was as dead of a planet as one could get, but at least the atmosphere was breathable.

He'd been successful in bleeding off the normal instability and isolating this new variety, but no matter what he tried he couldn't dissipate it…and he'd tried everything he knew of. He could feel the energy welling up inside his secata organ, buried deep inside his chest. It was one of three internal structures that Alterrans possessed that Humans and most Lanteans did not, and was responsible for the production of external energy…or rather the energy that could be expended outside the body.

Knowing that, Ryan had tried releasing energy blasts from his hands in order to drain the energy, but it hadn't worked either. Somehow the charge building up inside him was different from the bio-plasma that also originated from his secata, nor was it linked to his telekinesis, which originated from a small auxiliary tennatis nodule inside his brain…more of an extension than a separate organ, but it was one of the three that Humans didn't possess.

He knew of other physical abilities that he'd yet to develop, but those still in the queue didn't match up to what he was experiencing now…and Ryan was beginning to get worried.

"_Just go with the flow_," he reminded himself, stretching his arms wide in order to better attenuate the power if it did rip from his body once again. He still wasn't fully healed from the first ordeal, and if this one got worse he could very well kill himself.

He felt the moment of saturation approaching and decided to head it off. He mentally reached down inside for the instable energy and tried to push it out through his exterior…but it felt like trying to blow a full breath through a coffee straw. Small ripples of energy began to form around his silhouette, but the flow inside him continued to build up to overload. He managed to buy himself an extra minute or two, but the cascade occurred just the same as it had the first time.

The rainbow lightning forced its way through his body, frying him internally and leapt out through his fingertips…but did little to relieve the internal pressure. Inside Ryan's mind he searched and searched for some way to divert the flow, but it had nowhere to go. He could feel his body being damaged and frustration overrode his fear. He was going to die, not because he screwed up or because someone had attacked him, he was going to do it to himself out of pure ignorance. That angered him more than the thought of failure and he turned his aggression inward. He stopped 'going with the flow' and started fighting…trying to force it into submission with every ounce of strength he had.

The lightning arcs passing through his arms ceased, but a horrible pressure built inside of him. He fought with it, but it continued to grow. The energy _had_ to go somewhere.

Just as he was about to lose control he threw back his head and yelled in frustration and anger, letting his rage press inward just a bit more than before…

Suddenly he felt a crack open in his mind and the pent up energy flowed through it…and flowed out so fast that before it had completely dissipated he blacked out and fell to the ground.

* * *

A quarter of the way across the galaxy, in one of the small Ori villages that was undergoing reconstruction, a man walking the streets suddenly stopped and turned to his left.

"_Now what is that?_" he asked.

He stared in the same direction for several seconds before turning around and walking in a hurry back towards the stargate…passing directly through the wall of one stone building like a ghost, but no one in the village saw him, nor had ever seen him.

When he got to the stargate he activated it mentally and sucked in a deep 'breath.' He could only survive completely outside of Alfleheym for a few seconds, but it would be long enough to pass through the portal. His human persona disappeared and a green glow replaced it. The ascended being passed into the stargate, enroute to the planet where Ryan was.

* * *

"_Wake up_," Ryan heard someone say as his mind wheeled about and his vision slowly cleared. He found himself looking up at the orange sky. "_I know I shouldn't be, but I'm very surprised to find you here, Orici._"

Ryan sat up amidst a wash of disorientation, but as he did so he noted the presence of a man in what looked like a green military uniform standing next to him.

"_Hi_," Ryan said awkwardly as he tried to dispel the stars from his vision.

"_I would recommend you stay seated until your mind recovers_," the man said forcefully. "_You're kind isn't accustomed to such power_."

"_My kind?_" Ryan asked, wondering who this man was. He clearly wasn't a Prior.

"_Alterrans_," the man said with disdain.

That brought Ryan's head up. "_Who are you?_"

"_Have you ever done that before?_" the man asked, ignoring his question.

"_I don't know. What'd I do?_"

"_You broke through the dimensional barrier_," the man said, just a hint of respect in his tone, "_and released a small amount of biological energy into our realm. Such things don't go unnoticed, so I will ask you again, have you done this before?_"

Ryan thought back over what happened. "_I don't think so…last time I couldn't relieve the pressure and it discharged physically_."

The man nodded. "_I can sense your previous wounds, but not your thoughts_."

Ryan hesitantly stood up. "_That's to keep ascended beings from snooping around_," he said, glaring at the man.

The man nodded. "_You are fortunate you did so here. Had you been inside the Empire's territory you would be as good as dead_."

Ryan's eyes narrowed. "_Who are you?_"

The man crossed his arms over his chest. "_I am Rivera, but a long, long time ago I was once one of your Gods_."

Ryan's head came up. "_You're Ori?_"

"_Not anymore_," he said, pointing up at the sky. "_I left after a disagreement and joined the Rivera, far from here. We had heard the Ori had been destroyed, so they sent me to determine what happened. I had assumed the Empire had annexed this galaxy, but they curiously have not. It is completely dead. Not even the lower lifeforms have survived. I have been here for well over a year and have not encountered a single ascended being, which is fortunate for you_."

Ryan walked up to the man and lightly touched a finger to his chest…which was solid.

"_Are you descended?_"

"_No, but we can take physical form at any time without letting go of our energy matrix_."

Ryan nodded amicably, then in a blur of motion drove a stiffened elbow into the man's face, knocking him back a good two meters onto the ground.

"_That!_" Ryan shouted emotionally, "_Is 46 million years long overdue!_"

The former Ori sat on the ground, staring at Ryan in surprise for his overly stupid impudence…then he laughed once, shaking his head. "_It seems you have some backbone after all._"

The man stood up, seemingly unhurt. "_Perhaps all those years in another galaxy burnt the cowardice out of you…but not your stupidity. I can squash you like a bug at any time of my choosing_."

Ryan acknowledged that fact with a nod. "_But then I wouldn't be able to avenge the Ori if you did_."

The man smiled cruelly. "_Not so reckless after all. Good. There is hope for you yet_."

"_So what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?_" Ryan asked sarcastically.

"_As I said, that energy spurt you gave off was visible for half a galaxy. Luckily I'm the only one here to see it or you would have been in a world of hurt_."

"_How so?_"

"_The incursion you made into our dimension is extraordinarily rare, so much so that I can't remember the last time it's happened. The amount of energy you emitted was negligible, but the type stands out like a beacon. Bio-energy doesn't exist in our realm, so the only possible source is a crossover from this dimension. It's what alerted me to your presence. I come to see what's happening and what do I find...the foretold Orici that would arise if we ever fell. Which apparently happened, from what information I've been able to gather from the Priors_."

"_You spoke with them?_"

The man glared at him. "_Please. I simply accessed their minds. I would do the same with you, but somehow you've created a block that I can't bypass_."

"_Handy, isn't it?_"

"_Quite_," the former Ori said, beginning to pace in a circle around Ryan. "_However it does draw suspicion_."

"_Can't be helped. If the Ascended Empire knew what I know, they'd kill me on the spot_."

The man raised an eyebrow. "_You've heard of them, then?_"

"_Yes_."

"_How?_"

"_Now you see, that's exactly one of those things that would get me killed, so you'll forgive me if I don't mention it to you_."

"_You think I'd tell the Empire?_" he said, almost laughing.

"_I take it that's a no?_"

"_Despite the fact that your kind joined with them, we hate the Empire for all sorts of other reasons_."

"_The Ori, or the Rivera?_"

"_Both_."

Ryan put his hands on his hips. "_Do you know how the Ori died?_"

"_Not completely…do you?_"

"_Yes, I do. So how about an information swap?_"

The man smiled again, but not in a comforting way. "_Oh, I am beginning to like you…and since I want to see you do as much damage to the Empire as you can before you die, I'll fill you in on what you need to know_."

"_Such as?_"

"_First things first_," the man cautioned. "_I had expected the Empire to take control of this galaxy, worthless as it is. I need to know why they haven't, and I suspect the answer to that question will come from the way in which the Ori died_."

"_They were killed by a group of Humans_," Ryan explained, rubbing that fact in, "_using a weapon designed to kill ascended beings. They sent it through the Ori stargate and it detonated in this galaxy, killing all within it_."

The man frowned heavily and Ryan sensed anger rising within him. "_Where did they get the weapon?_"

"_A former ascended being descended in order to build the device in secret. He was worried about the threat the Ori posed and the lack of action on the part of the Empire, so he took matters into his own hands. He was stopped and the weapon destroyed, but arrangements were made to preserve him, and therefore the knowledge. The Humans discovered him by following clues that an ascended Morgan Le Fay left for them to follow. They revived him from stasis and he built the weapon again for them_."

"_The Empire would not have allowed that to happen under their noses_," the man said. "_Therefore I assume they intended for the Humans to use it all along. Where is the weapon now?_"

"_I believe it was a one shot only device. It hasn't been heard of since it was used, though the first Orici should have had access to its remains_."

"_There are two of you?_"

"_The other was created to lead the Ori armies in a crusade to convert the Humans of Avalona in order to give the Ori enough energy to kill my ascended ex-brothers_."

The man looked even more confused for a moment, but then it all began to come together. "_Interesting. We'd heard rumors about the Empire pulling back from the border galaxies, leaving them vulnerable. That's very uncharacteristic of them, but now I think I see their purpose. They fained weakness in order to draw the Ori in, then surreptitiously used the Humans to deliver the fatal blow. All the Ori are dead, and they didn't have to fight a single battle_."

The man held his head in his hand. "_Never underestimate their cunning, Orici. They are the most ruthlessly intelligent group of ascended beings we've ever known_."

"_We being the Ori or the Rivera?_"

"_The Rivera are far older than the Ori. They've had dealings with the Empire far back in history, but due to the distances involved, they've never come into close contact, however the Empire continues to slowly expand. Over the past 100,000 years they've annexed three more galaxies. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but it adds up over time. That's why we assumed they'd taken this galaxy_."

"_How close are we to their territory?_" Ryan asked. "_I know the line goes somewhere between here and Avalona?_"

The man raised an eyebrow again. "_You have an insider feeding you information?_"

"_Not much, I'm afraid_," Ryan said, trusting him enough to admit that much.

"_There are many galaxies in between, but none heavily populated by ascended beings or natives. This galaxy was the major threat along this portion of their border. With the Ori gone they can focus their attention elsewhere, for there isn't another credible threat in this area_."

"_How many galaxies do they have?_"

The man inclined his head. "_The Rivera have been able to map around the backside of their territory, and our best guess is that they have feelers into upwards of 1,000 galaxies and hold as many as 26 nexuses._"

"_A thousand?_" Ryan said, stunned. "_That's just great_."

"_Like I said, you don't stand a chance_."

"_We'll see_," Ryan deflected. "_What's a nexus?_"

"_Nectar of the Gods_."

"_Ascended super-juice?_" Ryan mocked.

"_Call it what you like. The nexuses are wellsprings located within certain rare galaxies. Destra has none, which makes it of low priority. The Rivera control two, which makes them a powerhouse in their region_."

"_And you said the Empire has 26?_" Ryan said, starting to get a sense of the balance of power.

"_That we suspect. We can't get our scouts inside their borders to be sure_."

Ryan thought for a moment. "_Do our galaxies transition into your dimension?_"

"_There is a crossover, yes. In our realm they provide what you would think of as terrain. The distances separating the galaxies are more or less barren_."

"_Which is why the Ori were all in one galaxy at one time?_"

"_Unfortunately yes_."

"_Other than this nectar and sapping power from worshipers, what do you eat?_"

"_There are many ways of absorbing power. Our dimension is filled with one type that we must have in small amounts on a moment by moment basis. That is why we cannot completely leave this dimension for yours. A part of us is always linked to it, unless we choose to retake our previous form_."

"_Descend?_"

"_Yes_."

"_Does that happen often?_"

"_No. We are much superior to your kind…save perhaps you, or rather what you are transforming into. I may not be able to search your memories, but I can see the flux within your body. You are forcing your development somehow_."

"_Do you know how the Alterra ascended?_"

"_No, just that we ascended first, but the Empire wouldn't allow us in their territory when we came looking for you_."

"_To kill us_."

"_Of course_," the man said as if it needn't be said.

"_We were dying from a plague, one that we couldn't cure. Those few that escaped learned to ascend while the rest died out. A plan was put in place during those final years to recreate our species on a lower level, one that wouldn't be affected by the plague, so that in the distant future we could be reborn. Repositories of Knowledge were scattered throughout our galaxies for the time when the seed species would become advanced enough to use them. I am the first to successfully make the transformation_."

"_Galaxies, huh? Why then is your physiology continuing to advance?_"

"_A few loyal ascended Alterra discovered that it was the Empire that created the plague to kill us. They altered the programming of the Repository to continue to press my advancement until I reached the point where I could affect events in your dimension_."

The former-Ori whistled appreciatively. "_That's very interesting. When did you expect these extra-dimensional powers to develop?_"

"_Not for several hundred years_," Ryan said, confused. "_But if I did break the dimensional barrier, then I am far ahead of schedule…and I don't know why_."

The man shook his head. "_Typical Alterra science. The universe doesn't obey your rules, nor is it predictable. Just because you expect your development to follow a pre-determined pattern doesn't mean it will. The energy I feel building within you now, along with the internal damage you've sustained comes from an inability to control your Kadarva energy_."

Now it was Ryan that raised an eyebrow. "_I'm not familiar with that term_."

"_I suppose not. We didn't develop the power until long after your kind ran away. It is the power that allows you to create displacementary defenses around your body_."

"_Ovartka?_" Ryan asked. "_That's a level 4 edeva skill. I've only begun to develop level 2_."

"_As I said, the universe isn't predictable. Just because it's a higher level skill, doesn't mean you have to develop the lower levels first_."

Ryan got a perturbed look on his face. "_If the universe isn't predictable, how did the Ori know I'd be here?_"

The man smiled ironically. "_We didn't. If the Ori had been successful, you never would have existed, but if we failed and were beaten by the Empire, then you might emerge as foreseen. If you didn't, then the prophecy in the Book of Origin would appear to be referring to something else in the distant future_."

"_You hedged your bets_."

"_Wouldn't you?_"

"_I can't argue with the results_," Ryan admitted. "_Being recognized by the Priors was quite helpful_."

"_As it was intended to be. If we couldn't beat the Empire, we intended to give you the best chance you had at revenge_."

"_I thought you said I couldn't win?_"

"_You can't, but if all goes extremely well, you might be able to bloody their nose…something that hasn't happened in a very, very long time_."

"_How many factions of ascended beings are there?_"

"_Several dozen that the Rivera are aware of, but the universe is seemingly infinite. If you travel far enough you will probably find more_."

"_Are the Rivera all ascended?_"

"_About half_," the former Ori admitted. "_The others are native to the dimension_."

"_Like the Originals_," Ryan commented.

The man's head came up. "_I assume you're referring to the leaders of the Empire?_"

"_Yes, I was told that's what the ascended beings call them_."

"_We never see them. They lie buried deep within their borders, probably gorging themselves on the nexuses. The original Rivera have, though, a long time ago. They witnessed a battle between a rival faction and the Empire when it was still young. These "Originals" as you call them are vicious, powerful monsters, far greater than any being I have ever encountered. They dwarf our power, our size, and our longevity. They are Ancient, and as close to all powerful as you can get. Fortunately the Rivera are too far away for them to bother with_."

"_Until the Empire's border eventually expands in your direction_," Ryan guessed.

"_That won't be any time soon, but it is a distant concern_."

"_Can the Rivera, the native ones…can they take power from Humans like the Ori did?_"

"_No, they can't access your dimension. Only the ascended can_."

"_Really_," Ryan said, taking valuable insight from that.

"_All native species are the same, as far as we can tell_," the man told him, "_but the Empire has a vast number of ascended beings in its ranks that can wipe you out on a whim_."

"_I was thinking about the non-interference edict. I assume that isn't standard operating procedure for everyone else?_"

"_The Rivera don't exploit beings in this dimension as we did, but only because they have no reason to. They prefer to stay in the shadows and watch, rather than try to control. It has served them well, but they don't have any stipulations on us acting within this dimension, though we rarely do_."

"_No point in it?_"

"_Not really. The Ori did only because of a lack of Nexuses and other food sources within this galaxy. It's pretty much worthless, and can't sustain a large population without augmentation. And now with all the lower lifeforms gone, we can't even feed off of them_."

Ryan bristled at that, but didn't voice his dissention. "_Are there other wellsprings aside from nexuses?_"

"_It'd be pointless to try and explain, given your lack of vision…however, now that you've broken through the dimensional barrier I can help expand your abilities_."

"_How?_"

The man gave him a 'come on' look of disgust.

"_Can you do so without affecting my programming? It's my only chance of growing strong enough to fight the Empire directly_."

"_Don't worry, I…_" he said, pausing suddenly and turning his head.

"_What's wrong?_" Ryan asked.

"_It seems I misspoke earlier_," the man said, glaring off at the horizon. "_There are two ascended beings coming this way in a hurry._"

"_How far?_" Ryan asked

"_Halfway across the galaxy_," the man said direly. "_They're moving so fast, and expending so much energy, I can see them from this far away_."

"_Any idea who they are?_"

"_They're Empire_."

"_How do you know for sure?_"

"_We alter our energy signature to identify our allegiance. Theirs is clearly visible_."

Ryan didn't say anything for a moment. "_They're coming after me?_"

"_Nothing else here to attract their attention_."

"_What about you?_"

"_They can't see me from this far away_."

"_What about when you were traveling?_"

"_I came through the stargate. My energy expenditure was minimal_."

"_What do you think they want?_"

"_All ascended beings fear the Juntar, but the Empire is the most fanatical about it_."

"_I'm becoming a Juntar?_" Ryan guessed.

"_Someone in this dimension capable of affecting ours naturally_."

"_And the Originals can't do anything about it, making them even more fearful?_"

"_Like I said, they have their weapons and do well enough by them_."

"_So they're coming here to kill me?_" Ryan asked.

"_Don't worry_," the man said dismissively. "_I'm not going to let our vengeance be spoiled so lightly_."

"_Can you take them?_"

The man's smile twisted sardonically as his body dissipated into a green aura, then it changed over into the orange flames characteristic of the Ori.


	5. Chapter 5

"_How long until they get here?_" Ryan asked the former Ori.

"_I'd guess just under half an hour_."

Ryan considered his options. "_Can they track me?_"

The flaming image of the man shook his head. "_No. You're not expending any more energy into our dimension_."

"_So we could escape through the stargate?_"

"_They won't stop looking until they've found the source. These two have to die, unless you want them to bring back hundreds more to continue the search_."

"_Point taken_," Ryan relented. "_Is there some way I can use my energy to recharge you?_"

"_Not enough to matter. If these two are what I think they are, I shouldn't have a problem._"

"_And what do you think they are?_"

"_The Empire doesn't allow individuals to leave its territory or roam around freely within it. They exist in groups with chaperones, so that they can insure their rules are followed. Only the Empire's most trusted agents are allowed to move about unchecked, but even then there are always two or more together_."

"_And?_"

"_And if I'm right, I'm going to have the pleasure of killing a couple of Alterra today_."

"_What makes you think they're not from another species?_"

"_Hmmm_," he considered. "_Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part, but these two are sprinting so hard to get here it belies their inexperience…and the Alterra are still relatively new additions to the Empire_."

"_Why are they in such a hurry anyway?_"

"_Like I said, they can't track you unless you're expending energy. They want to get to this region before the trail grows cold_."

"_They don't know exactly where I am, do they?_"

"_No, just the approximate location. I had to guess based on my familiarity with this galaxy's stargate network. Luckily you were right beside the portal_."

"_Wait_," Ryan said as a stray memory clicked into place. "_Back up a second. You said the Empire's agents always travel in groups of two or more?_"

"_I did_."

"_After the Ori were killed, the first Orici ascended in Avalona and returned here to take their place. One of the Ascended helped a group of Humans cut off her power base and then fought her_."

The man nodded. "_So I gathered from the Doci_."

"_This ascended being said she was an exile…and apparently alone_."

"_More subterfuge I would guess. Even if someone is ostracized they wouldn't be left unchecked, nor would they be allowed to leave the Empire. This person you speak of was ostensibly working with them to kill off the last of the Ori_."

"_I was also told that the Empire didn't allow members to kill each other_."

"_To do so would weaken the Empire from within, though I imagine they'll excuse the occasional transgression if it benefits the Empire_."

Ryan shook his head appreciatively. _In war there are no rules_, he reminded himself.

"_Is there no way I can assist you?_"

The man laughed. "_This fight will take place in our dimension. Even if you could access it at will, you'd be overwhelmed by our power levels. As it is, you won't even be able to see the battle_."

"_If you hide, what do you think they will do when they get here?_"

He considered that. "_If and when they finally get here, they'll investigate. Since you're the only lifeform on this planet, it shouldn't take long for even your dumb kin to figure out you're the source…especially with that mental block you have in place_."

"_I meant will they attack immediately?_"

"_They'll need to make sure you're the source before they obliterate you_."

"_Would getting the jump on them be of any advantage?_"

He shook his head. "_When they get close enough they'll detect me. I'd have to move off, and in the few seconds it would take me to cross the gap the element of surprise would be negated_."

Ryan considered for a moment. "_Could you hide inside me?_"

The former Ori looked at him as if he'd just come up with something useful. "_I can't hide my connection to our dimension at close proximity, but if we could get them to think it was you then they wouldn't realize I was here._"

"_Ok, so how do we do that?_"

"_We make some upgrades_," the ascended being said, transforming into a glowing fireball and diving inside Ryan's chest.

* * *

The 'upgrades' he spoke of hurt…a lot, but the small crack he'd felt within his mind opened up until he was able to perceive the other's dimension.

It felt like he was opening his eyes for the first time, blinded by overwhelming light, but with the augmentations that were being made to his body and physical components of his mind, the jumbled mess of perceptions began to resolve themselves into recognizable 'shapes' for lack of a better word.

All around him, but more so beneath him, was a web of interconnecting strands, partially solid to his mental touch. They catacombed their way to and from everywhere, but seemed to thin above him. He suddenly realized that the strands were more heavily present in the gravity well beneath him and stretched out to connect to the other planets nearby.

He 'turned around' and looked in the direction of the system's star and saw a tight knob of webs around it, but also stretching out beyond. Everywhere he looked were fibrous elements, with the only clear space being between them, located in an erratic pattern.

Suddenly another augmentation adjusted his vision and the strands disappeared. All he saw was thin filaments at a great distance, resolving themselves into a great disc with a bulge at what must have been galactic center. Off to the side was a long, thin sweeping arm that matched up with those of the galaxy in his dimension, where his body still remained. It felt odd being able to look beneath his 'feet' and see nothing. He couldn't even perceive himself, he was just an omniscient viewpoint with no substance, rooted in one place.

He looked around in every direction, noticing two small lights in the distance. He could barely make them out, but they appeared to be oscillating slightly whereas everything else was static. If they hadn't been slightly winking he wouldn't have noticed them at all.

He was back in his dimension as a sudden lurch inside his body broke his connection. He felt his secata organ and nervous system catch on fire and burn continuously. He rode out the pain as best he could, knowing that it was a 'good' pain, yet he imagined the Ori was pleased to have been causing him so much discomfort.

_Bleed off your energy again_, he felt the Ori speak to his mind. _They are veering off course._

_Don't you want a few more minutes?_ he spoke again through his mind. Though his mental block kept the Ori out of his memories and prevented him from taking control of his mind, Ryan's telepathy wasn't restricted, though it was awkward connecting with an energy-based lifeform.

_No_.

_Alright_, Ryan thought, concentrating. His energy wasn't erratic anymore, and there was more of it than there had been before. In fact he felt two sources of energy.

_Use your Kadarva energy. We don't want to alert them to your upgrades_.

Ryan pulled the original energy, what he guessed was Ovartka, and pushed it through the now easier to create breach between the dimensions. It was heavy and awkward, not meant for the transition, but Ryan managed a small spurt that immediately got the attention of the ascended beings. He could see them adjust their line slightly amidst a small 'vibration' within their visible signatures.

_Almost finished_, the man said as Ryan was suddenly in pain again, this time from portions of his body that he couldn't identify, and eventually lost his connection with his senses…

* * *

Ryan woke again, standing on the planet's surface. He blinked his eyes a few times, feeling very weird.

The former Ori stood beside him again, awash in flame. "_They will be here within minutes. All I need you to do is distract them, and draw them in close. Even with the adjustments I've made to your physiology, you haven't the energy to challenge them. I've taken your development as far as I can, and retained your internal flux so you can continue to grow stronger over time. You shouldn't have to worry about inadvertently throwing off energy the Empire can detect. I stabilized your Kadarva energy, but with your mental block I wasn't able to give you the knowledge you need to use it. That, you will have to learn on your own_."

"_I understand_," Ryan said, seeing the two agents approaching overlapped onto his 'real' vision.

"_If you hadn't lost control of you Kadarva energy_," the man lectured him, "_you wouldn't have found yourself in a position where you needed to bleed it off. Because you were in such jeopardy, you found a way to break the dimensional barrier in order to save yourself. Remember that in the future when you revert back to your science. Power develops from need, not desire, and not from a preprogrammed template. The weak shall remain weak…and the strong will grow stronger_."

"_You're saying I caused myself to accelerate my development?_"

"_Accelerate what? It's not predetermined_."

"_That's a matter of debate_," Ryan argued, thinking about the other versions of himself in the alternate realities Janus had told him about. Ovartka energy should have been 50 years away, and breaking the dimensional barrier centuries after that.

"_Yet you stand here now, a product of something your science cannot predict. That is the nature of the universe. Embrace it, learn from it, and harness its power. Those who believe in rules and procedures blind themselves to the universal truth, thus denying them access to true power_."

"_And what's universal truth for an Ori?_"

The man's visage smiled. "_There are no rules_."

Ryan had to smile at that. "_No rules?_"

The man shook his head. "_Only that which you can do, and that which you can't do. Embrace the challenges of the universe, confront them, push your apparent limits and attempt the impossible. Only then will you know what you are truly capable of_."

Ryan, oddly, found those words ringing true. "_I suppose that's how you learned to ascend first?_"

"_We did not learn, we attained_."

"_I guess that's the difference with us. We learned it was possible through science, studied our physiology, simulated the permutations, then created an environment where the likely transformation would be most easily attained through training and meditation_."

"_And still, by your own admission, only a few of your people achieved the transformation_."

"_I didn't say it was easy_."

"_And yet I feel that you disapprove of your own people's ways_."

Ryan stared at him for a moment. "_Despite my technical knowledge, I'm not much of a scientist_."

"_You would prefer earning the power yourself?_"

"_Given my circumstances I have to_," Ryan argued. "_Like you said, it's a matter of need_."

"_So you don't fault your scientists?_"

"_No, why would I?_"

"_They do not seek the truth of the universe, and are weak because of it_."

"_Yet one of them, a Lantean no less, did manage to create a device to wipe out all the ascended beings in this galaxy in a matter of seconds. On the power scale, I'd say Merlin did rather well as a scientist_."

"_Only because we allow your kind to exist_."

"_Not to argue, but why haven't the ascended wiped out everyone in this dimension?_"

"_Not worth the bother_," he said dismissively. "_It's much easier to pluck the weed than incinerate the forest…for the forest will eventually grow back_."

"_It's been done before?_" Ryan asked, alarmed.

"_Somehow new lifeforms arise over time. Another mystery of the universe that your science can't explain_."

"_We noticed_," Ryan said, beginning to make out more detail of the approaching ascended beings. They appeared white in hue, whereas his protector had originally appeared green, then switched to flame orange. "_Is white the signature color of the Ascended Empire?_"

"_As your eyes see it, yes_."

"_Well the two approaching look white as well_."

"_They won't once they arrive_. _You'll notice the difference then. Flush your dimensional energy through your body. It should obscure my presence. Do not connect to our dimension while I am inside you. We need them to think my connection is yours. Two would be obvious_."

Ryan reached inside him for the second, newer type of energy available and distributed small amounts throughout his body. "_Ready_."

"_Watch through my eyes until the time is right_," the Ori said, reverting back into a fireball and entering Stevenson's body. He sent his vision through Ryan's nervous system and into his mind.

Suddenly the 'sight' Ryan previously had improved greatly. Not only could he see the galaxy around him, he could see others off in the distance. Dozens, actually, as if they were just out of reach rather than hundreds of thousands of light years away.

_How fast can you move?_ Ryan mentally asked the presence within his body.

_Faster than any of your hyperdrives._

_How long would it take you to travel from here to Avalona?_

_Four or five days, if I was in a hurry._

Ryan stifled his surprise. It would take seven years with the Alterra's more advanced hyperdrives.

_We can move faster than you using the stargates then?_

_Yes, that's one advantage you have over the Empire…assuming they don't use them as well._

_How do you react with hyperspace?_

_Your ships are beyond their reach while in transit_, he said, guessing his intent.

_Good to know_, Ryan mentally cataloged for future reference. _How do you go through the stargates then?_

_We can withdraw from our dimension for a handful of seconds. That's long enough for the transition_.

_How about long range communications?_

_Courier only, unless we utilize technology in your dimension_.

_Does the Empire?_

_Word spreads fast, but we have little knowledge of the inner workings of the Empire_.

_Ever known them to have slaves in my dimension_.

_No…but if you like you can ask them yourself_, he said as the two ascended beings came within range enough to detect 'Ryan's' connection to their dimension.

The energy Ryan was exuding leaked through the Ori's connection, essentially blurring his presence enough for the others to think that this was typical of a juntar…especially since they'd never encountered one before. The two ascended beings traveled quickly to the planet then hovered nearby, studying him.

One of them eventually approached, and to both of their surprise she appeared to Ryan in his dimension, glowing in white robes.

"_Hello_," she said, appearing before him.

"_Hello_," Ryan echoed. "_Lost?_"

The woman frowned. "_Lost?_"

"_Yeah lost_," Ryan repeated. "_That's just a polite way of asking what you're doing here_."

"_I was wondering the same of you_," she said evenly. "_I take it you know what I am?_"

"_Ascended? Yeah, I figured that much out_."

"_You accessed our dimension, and have a presence there even now_."

"_Sorry…did I trip you or something?_"

"_Your physiology shouldn't be advanced enough to break the barrier_," she continued, ignoring his jibes. "_How have you managed this?_"

"_You're asking? Not just raiding my mind for the information?_"

"_I'm asking_," she said, almost politely.

Ryan nodded. "_Bumped my head_."

"_You bumped your head?_" she repeated, clearly not taking him seriously.

"_Yeah_," Ryan said, rubbing his temple. "_Can't feel anything anymore_."

"_I find that unlikely_," she said. "_However, your mind is currently inaccessible. Perhaps you have been damaged_."

"_I thought you said you weren't in my head…or was that your friend?_"

The woman's eyes widened. "_You can see into our dimension_."

"_Na, just a lucky guess_," Ryan said, almost believably.

"_Wait_," the woman said, holding up her hand and looking to the side. Ryan could see her companion move towards him slowly and begin to build up some sort of charge…

All of a sudden he lost connection with the other realm as the Ori leapt out of him. He reconnected on his own with his incredibly diminished vision and saw the two of them locked in battle, swirling about each other and breaking through the 'web threads' which quickly reformed, some of which branched off into new connections.

The woman he'd been talking with, however, didn't move. She stood by, retreated in fact, just a bright, glowing energy blob in Ryan's vision drifting off to the side watching the other two fight.

Ryan felt a sting to his mind as bits and pieces of ascended being washed over his vantage point in the other dimension. The two were tearing into each other, releasing what looked like tiny shards of glass whenever one of them took damage. Most of the 'glass' shards appeared etched white, with a pattern that Ryan couldn't articulate, but what the Ori had mentioned was the designator of the Ascended Empire. The Ori bits and pieces felt orange, but had more ornate structure, almost artistic whereas the Empire's was rigid and complex.

And there was many more Empire shards being thrown off than there were Ori.

Yet still the other didn't intervene. Ryan stretched out to her with his mind.

"_What are your intentions?_" he asked her, trying to not be distracted by the awe-inspiring battle taking place virtually on top of him.

"_I am not your enemy_," she said, retreating back a bit further. Ryan could sense her apprehension…and fear.

Suddenly there was an overwhelming shower of Empire shards as the Ori broke the other ascended being apart in a spherical explosion of debris. The tiny bits and pieces fizzled, releasing pent up energy like smoky streamers as they spread out away from the blast.

Energy refocused within the Ori and its exterior damage disappeared, but its overall 'size,' for lack of a better term, diminished slightly.

The two ascended beings remaining stared each other down, but neither moved.

"_Talk to me_," Ryan insisted.

Suddenly he felt both of them diminish, and his normal senses saw two figures appear on the sands beside his body. Ryan pulled back as well, completely disengaging from Alfleheym.

"_Please…I mean you no harm_," the woman said quickly. "_I would have aided Herram if I did._"

"_It would not have changed the outcome, coward_," the Ori said coldly.

"_I thought Adria was the last of the Ori_," the woman said meekly.

"_She was_," Ryan said forcefully. "_I'm Alterra_."

Her eyes widened. "_How?_"

"_What species were you?_" Ryan asked, guessing the answer.

"_They're both Alterra_," the Ori all but spat.

"_Then you should know the answer already_," Ryan insisted.

"_You were Human?_" she asked.

"_I was_."

"_From what planet?_"

"_Avalon_," he said, the name catching her attention.

"_Then you've successfully used the Repository of Knowledge…and received the special programming within_."

Ryan glanced at the Ori, who stood passive.

"_If you know of it, then tell me who created that special programming?_"

"_I was told it was Lyran_," she said softly.

"_By whom?_" Ryan asked.

"_He told me_."

Ryan held up a hand towards the Ori. "_Seems this one is on my side_."

"_You won't live to realize your mistake if you're wrong_," he warned.

"_Only those loyal would know of the secondary programming_," Ryan explained. "_It's what's forcing my advancement, and if even one of them had turned Empire all of the Repositories would have been destroyed_."

"_Who are you?_" the Ori demanded.

"_My name is Morgan Le Fay_."

The Ori turned to Ryan. "_Is she the one you said killed the first Orici?_"

"_Yes_."

"_First?_" Morgan echoed, then looked at Ryan.

"_If you've been in this galaxy for a while you should have noticed by now?_"

"_I knew the Ori followers had been reorganized, but our mission here had no connection with your realm. As a result I haven't kept informed of corporeal matters_."

"_And what was your mission?_" the man asked.

"_To fully survey and monitor this galaxy_."

"_As a prelude to annexation?_" he demanded, still a bit hot under the collar from the battle.

"_No_," she said slowly, trying not to antagonize him. "_We were to determine the possible threat level should others take the place of the Ori._"

"_And what did you determine?_" he asked.

"_Our survey was only partially complete, but we both believed this galaxy could not sustain more than a hundred inhabitants based on resource extrapolations. There is little here to survive on_."

"_But enough for you two to remain as scouts?_" Ryan asked.

Morgan nodded. "_Yes. Such was my assignment…and punishment_."

"_Jackson said you'd been exiled_," Ryan pointed out.

"_You know of Daniel Jackson?_"

"_Answer the question_," the Ori demanded.

She looked at him briefly. "_I was exiled, but I was left unattended. I tested my bounds and I discovered I was allowed to leave the Empire. I followed the Humans through their stargate and, with their assistance, was able to defeat the last of the Ori_," she said, looking at the man. "_Or so I believed_."

"_How did you pick up your friend?_" Ryan asked.

"_After defeating Adria, I was located and forced to return to the Empire. As reward for ending the Ori threat, my exile was ended. Subsequently I was tasked with scouting this galaxy along with Herram_."

"_You didn't have a choice?_"

"_None of us do_," she said, anxiety in her voice.

"_And now?_" Ryan guessed.

"_I do not know_," she answered honestly, then looked at Ryan's companion. "_How is it the Ori still live?_"

Ryan and the Ori exchanged glances.

"_What do you intend to do about me?_" Ryan asked.

"_As I said, I mean you no harm_," she repeated.

"_But if you return to the Empire, what will you tell them?_"

"_I don't know_," she repeated.

"_Can you run away, with your chaperone gone?_"

"_If they found me I would surely die_."

"_The universe is infinite_," Ryan reminded her. "_If you run in one direction and don't turn back, how can they catch you, with the lead you have by being here_."

"_The Empire has its ways_," the Ori reprimanded Ryan. "_Otherwise more would have run by now._"

"_Indeed_," Morgan agreed.

"_What options do you have?_"

"_Very little_," she said regretfully.

"_Can you descend?_" Ryan suggested.

Morgan looked between the two of them.

"_The Empire would still want answers_," the Ori declared.

"_Can you retake physical form in a way that they wouldn't recognize?_"

"_I can only reassume my previous form_," Morgan told him. "_I can't change it_."

"_How did Merlin?_" Ryan pressed.

Morgan glanced at him, then realized that he must have spoken with Daniel at length. "_Merlin reassumed his form, taking with him some advancements, but he was still very much himself_."

Ryan looked to the Ori. "_I can change her looks with genetic alteration. What else would have to be done to conceal her identity?_"

"_Her memories, obviously_," he said, not wanting to get involved, but knowing that the Orici needed all the help he could get…and he liked the idea of the Alterran woman losing her powers. "_Unless you can shield her mind the way yours is…though that too would raise suspicion_."

"_I don't know how…but I might know someone who does. Give me an hour_," Ryan said, walking towards the distant stargate. "_Assuming of course you two can play nice while I'm gone_."

"_She's not going anywhere_," the Ori said menacingly. "_I can assure you of that_."

"_I will remain here until you return_," Morgan said agreeably.

Ryan nodded, then gated back to Celestis…

* * *

Forty seven minutes later Ryan returned to the wasteland planet along with his number one scientist, whose trim, bright Alterran clothes stood out in stark contrast to his surroundings, making him 'glow' almost as much as Morgan was.

"_Janus?_" she said, recognizing him instantly.

"_Hello, Ganos…it's been a long time_."

"_We thought we'd lost you_," she said, hardly believing he was still alive after all these years.

"_You can save the reunion for later_," the Ori interrupted.

"_Yes, I understand from what he has told me that the Ascended Empire will eventually come looking for you_," Janus began almost rhythmically. "_If you can retake corporeal form and be altered enough so that the others won't recognize you, I can shield your mind against ascended influence, the way ours are_."

_See_, Ryan told the Ori telepathically so only he could hear, _science has its uses_.

"_Otherwise_," Janus continued, "_the only other option is a total wipe of all identifying memories…including your years in the Pegasus galaxy_."

"_That would be best_," the Ori suggested. "_Then there would be no possible way of her presence being discovered. A mental block will still draw suspicion_."

"_We both have mental blocks_," Ryan argued. "_Which means we're already under suspicion. One more won't make much of a difference_."

"_But it will make me someone of note_," Morgan said, siding with the Ori. "_If I have no memories then I will be of no consequence to them. I will make the sacrifice if I must_."

"_No_," Ryan said firmly. "_You're not. Besides, we have another idea_."

Behind the two of them was a small floating sled carrying a piece of Alterran technology.

"_If you're not going to try to make a run for it in their dimension_," Ryan said, not precluding that possibility, "_then this should alter your appearance and body enough to disguise you. He can check out the changes and make any extra alterations required to insure security_," Ryan said, referring to the Ori.

"_And I can subsequently make the alterations necessary to shield your mind_," Janus added.

"_If you're sure you want to do this_," Ryan asked.

The Ori looked at her, raising an 'eyebrow' as if taunting her.

Morgan nodded. "_So be it_."

Her glow brightened, then suddenly dimmed for a moment as her body reformed. Her last bits of energy matrix resettled into her corporeal form, transferring her core energy from one dimension to the other. The 'clothes' that she wore disappeared in a wash of light as her control of the energy matrix that they were made of relinquished. Her small, petite Lantean body was all that remained, standing on the dirty, desert planet.

"_Oh, how the mighty have fallen_," the Ori said, enjoying the moment.

Morgan walked up to Ryan and Janus, having to look up at them.

Ryan turned around and telekinetically elevated the Repository of Knowledge. He'd recently had Janus retrieve all of the surviving devices and return them to Atlantis to insure that no one else died attempting the conversion, now that the end result had already come to fruition. They'd dismantled most of them, but saved a few in storage.

Morgan took a final step forward and the device leapt out and grabbed her head. A few seconds later it was finished.

The nude Lantean didn't fall unconscious, but she did stagger backwards a bit, disoriented. Inside her body and mind the transfer from Lantean to Alterran began, along with a shift in body structure to match the Alterran female template…which would change her looks from head to toe.

"_Well?_" Ryan asked the Ori.

The ascended being's image crossed its arms over its chest. "_Pretty good, assuming her change of appearance, but she retains a small amount of energy. It may dissipate over time, but it's best if I remove it now_."

He waved his hand, but nothing else visible happened. Ryan sensed a quick connection between him and Morgan, but he couldn't detect the energy that he'd mentioned.

"_You're going to need a new name_," Janus told her. "_And a back story_."

"_Her name is Liona_," Ryan said, already having thought through that part of the plan. "_She is from Destra, formerly one of the anti-Ori underground. She has proved her worthiness and is joining the ranks of the Alterra_."

"_Close to the truth_," the Ori grumbled.

"_Thank you_…" Morgan/Liona said. "_I'm sorry. I don't even know your name_."

"_Ryan Stevenson_."

"_Two names?_" she asked.

"_I kept it from Avalon_."

"_I see_," she said, suffering from a mild headache.

"_Come inside_," Ryan said, gesturing towards his private retreat. "_I'll have the Priors bring you some proper clothes. I assume you're not going anywhere in a hurry?_" he asked the Ori.

"_I have a few other tasks to handle for the Rivera before I return to them_," he said, catching Morgan/Liona's eyes at the mention of the other ascended beings. "_After which I'll be returning home. You're on your own after I leave_."

"_Then I suggest the four of us have a very long conversation considering all things ascended…to maximize the chances of our mutual revenge_."

The Ori seemed to settle on that last caveat. "_One last thing_."

"_Yes?_"

"_I saved your life_."

"_Yes, you did_," Ryan agreed.

"_Then you owe me the pleasure of hearing it at least once_."

Ryan frowned. "_Hear what?_"

The Ori just looked at him, letting him fill in the blanks.

Eventually it came to Ryan, who rolled his eyes. He did owe him.

"_Hallowed are the Ori_," he said, keeping his disgust out of his voice.

The Ori smiled. "_Now you're a proper Orici_."

Morgan/Liona raised an eyebrow in Ryan's direction.

"_Long story_," he said, putting a hand on her bare shoulder and nudging her forward.


End file.
